Tom Brady Says He's Not Surprised That Wes Welker Left For Denver

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Thursday that he wasn't surprised by Wes Welker's free-agent defection to the Denver Broncos, since he understands the nature of the business.

"I don't think anything surprises me anymore in the NFL," he told the "Dennis & Callahan Show" on WEEI sports radio in Boston. "I've been around long enough to see things happen at different times with the greatest players of all, whether that's Wes or Randy Moss being traded by the Raiders or Brett Favre and playing for the Jets and Vikings.

"That's what happens. This is a, like I said, it's a very tough, competitive business, and nobody appreciated Wes more than I did and what he was able to accomplish for our team. He's moved on; he's in a good situation with another great team and a great quarterback. We always kind of kept in touch, we always will. He's one of my best friends."

Welker has caught more passes than anyone else over the past six NFL seasons. Though he and Brady are close friends, Brady wouldn't describe himself as being angry or disappointed.

"Of course I have feelings, but those feelings are very personal to me," he said. "I used to get caught up in angry and disappointment, but I don't make the decisions. These things aren't up to me. At some point you've got to realize the things that are out of your control, you've just got to let go, focus on my job and what I need to do. The game moves on, the team moves on, there's only so long you can dwell on the past, and at some point you've got to move forward."